Detergent compositions



Patented Dec. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS No Drawing. Application November 21, 1946, Se-

rial No. 711,472. In Great Britain December 5.

2 Claims. (Cl. 252-152) This invention relates to detergent compositions and detergent baths and to processes for making them.

According to the invention we provide detergent compositions which comprise a condensation product of phenol bearing an alkyl substituent or substituents totalling between 6 and carbon atoms with between 6 and molecular proportions of ethylene oxide and up to 400% by weight of said condensation product of a fi-monohydroxyethylamide of a fatty acid of from 9 to 19 carbon atoms.

It has hitherto been known to use the said phenolethylene oxide condensation products as detergents. Our invention is based on the discovery that the detergent properties of these substances are much improved by the said admixture with the fi-monohydroxyethylamides. This improvement in detergent properties is particularly manifested in presence of alkali.

As fi-monohydroxyethylamides there may be used in the detergent compositions of the invention for example stearo-B-hydroxyethylamide, lauro B hydroxyethylamide, oleo-B-hydroxyethylamide and ricinole-p-hydroxyethylamide.

There may also be used the B-monohydroxyethylamides of mixtures of fatty acids particularly those occurring naturally for example coconut oil acids, tallow acids and castor oil acids.

As phenols the condensation products of which with between 6 and 30 molecular proportions of ethylene oxide may be used in the detergent compositions of the invention there are for example a. a 'y 'y-tetramethylbutylphenol, dodecylphenol (commercial product consisting principal- 1y of p-dodecylphenol) di-tertiarybutylphenol (commercial product consisting principally of 2:4- di-tertiary-butylphenol), mixed octylphenols obtained by alkylating phenol or crude cresols with commercial butene dimer, and 4-methyl-2-tertiary-octylphenol.

The detergent compositions of the invention are made by mechanically mixing together as by stirring the constituents. The mixing process may with advantage be accelerated by application of heat. This application of heat may or may not be such as to melt the ingredients when these are solid at atmospheric temperature.

' The invention is illustrated but not limited by the following examples in which parts are by weight.

' Example 1 6 parts of fi-monohydroxyethylamide' of coconut oil fatty acids are stirred at 100 C. with 30 parts of a condensation product of uzaz' w-tetra- Example 2 Mixtures of the condensation product of 4- methyl-2-tertiary-octylphenol and 10.4 molecular proportions of ethylene oxide with 5, 10, 20 and 40% by weight of stearo- 3-hydroxyethylamide are made by stirring together the materials at 50-60% C. The table shows the superiority of the mixtures as compared with the unadulterated ethylene oxide condensation product (detergency when used in soft water in presence of soda ash as a detergent for artificially soiled botany wool serge.

Deterstearofl-hydroxyethylamide gency 5 per cent 10 per cent 120 20 per cent 40 per cent 128 Example 3 8 parts of stearo-c-hydroxyethylamide are stirred at 100 C. with 2 parts of the condensation product of 4-methyl-2-tertiary-octyl-phenol and 15 molecular proportions of ethylene oxide until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.

This mixture is more efiective as a detergent for artificially soiled botany serge than is the condensation product of 4-methyl-2-tertiary-octylphenol and 15 molecular proportions of ethylene oxide alone.

We claim:

1. A detergent composition consisting essentially of an alkyl phenol-ethylene oxide condensation product mixed with from 5 to 400% by weight of said condensation product of a B-monohydroxyethylamide of a fatty acid containing 9 to 19 carbon atoms, said condensation product being the reaction product of an all syl substituted phenol in which the alkyl group contains from 8 to 12 carbon atoms and 8 to 15 molecular proportions of ethylene oxide.

2. A detergent composition consisting essentially of an alkyl phenol-ethylene oxide condensa- 4 tion product mixed with 400% by weight of said 7 condensation product of stearo-B-hydroxyethyl- UN T STATES PATENTS amide, said condensation product being the reac- Number Name Date tio p rodu t 0 f hy:; -t t1 rg-oct 1-ph no1 2, 7, Pings Apr 1943 and 1 mo ecu ar propor ons of et ylene oxide. 5 2 35 WILLIAM BAIRD' 3,081 Robinson et a1 July 4, 194 GERALD PATRICK CROWLEY. FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date REFERENCES CITED 470,181 Great Britain Aug. 3, 1937 The following references are 0! record in the file of this patent: (I r 

1. A DETERGENT COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AN ALKYL PHENOL-ETHYLENE OXIDE CONDENSATION PRODUCT MIXED WITH FROM 5 TO 400% BY WEIGHT OF SAID CONDENSATION PRODUCT OF A B-MONOHYDROXYETHYLAMIDE OF A FATTY ACID CONTAINING 9 TO 19 CARBON ATOMS, SAID CONDENSATION PRODUCT BEING THE REACTION PRODUCT OF AN ALKYL SUBSTITUTED PHENOL IN WHICH THE ALKYL GROUP CONTAINS FROM 8 TO 12 CARBON ATOMS AND 8 TO 15 MOLECULAR PROPORTIONS OF ETHYLENE OXIDE. 